mn_technology:apple191533415Apple200779Tue, 3 Mar 2015 12:14:14 PSTTue, 4 Mar 2008 13:34:00 PSTFri, 27 Sep 2013 15:58:03 PDT150GenericBusiness/business/npc-news.mercurynews.com4746980San Jose Mercury News568http://www.mercurynews.comwww.mercurynews.comfeeds.mercurynews.com27630873SJM-SECURITY-0304.xmltrue:biz:bizstaff:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking: :loc:whatsnew:<p class="bylinejb">By Julia Love<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jmlove@mercurynews.com'>jmlove@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Tue, 3 Mar 2015 06:27:17 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 06:28:47 PSTMon, 3 Mar 2025 06:22:54 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 11:32:45 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 11:32:26 PST3652false By Julia Love jmlove&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-03-03T06:27:17-08:0020150303T113245-08002015-03-03T06:30:34-08:0020150303T113226-08002015030303/03/20152025-03-03T06:22:54-08:001211YApple to make many security guards full-time employeesAmid debate about Silicon Valley's sweeping use of contract workers, Apple will dramatically expand its in-house security team, giving the officers the same benefits as other employees.Amid debate about Silicon Valley's sweeping use of contract workers, Apple will dramatically expand its in-house security team, giving the officers the same benefits as other employees.<p>CUPERTINO -- Amid debate about Silicon Valley's sweeping use of contract workers, Apple will dramatically expand its in-house security team, giving the officers the same benefits as other employees.</p><p>After a yearlong review, Apple has decided to hire the majority of its day-to-day security staff in the valley as full-time Apple workers, a spokeswoman told this newspaper. The Cupertino-based company had previously used a contractor to fill the positions. Like other Apple employees, the security guards will be entitled to full health insurance, retirement contributions and leave for new parents, among other benefits. </p><p>"We will be hiring a large number of full-time people to handle our day-to-day security needs," the spokeswoman said. "We hope that virtually all of these positions will be filled by employees from our current security vendor and we're working closely with them on this process."</p><p>Apple will soon begin hiring for the security team, inviting its current officers to apply for in-house positions. The company will still use contract security guards when it needs to expand its force temporarily for special events.</p><p>The move comes as advocates are calling upon Apple and other tech companies to extend their wealth to service workers who cook, clean and monitor security on tech campuses but see few of the industry's lavish perks. Apple's program echoes steps by Google, which announced in October that it would hire about 200 security guards, drawing praise from local union United Service Workers West.</p><p>United Service Workers West, a regional arm of the Service Employees International Union that is trying to organize security guards in the valley, had called on Apple to move away from its security contractor, staging a rally on the tech company's campus in December. The union claimed that Apple's contractor, Security Industry Specialists, had a poor record of treating workers and that many of the positions were part-time.</p><p>As Apple and Google add security guards to their payrolls, other service workers are banding together to demand better wages and benefits. Shuttle bus drivers for Apple, Yahoo, Genentech, eBay and Zynga voted on Friday to join the Teamsters, following the lead of Facebook's drivers. Under a contract approved last month, Facebook drivers working full-time will receive about $33,000 more in wages and benefits than they received before, the Teamsters said. </p><p>Contact Julia Love at 408-920-5536 or follow her at <a href="http://Twitter.com/byJuliaLove" >Twitter.com/byJuliaLove</a></p><a href="http://Twitter.com/byJuliaLove">Twitter.com/byJuliaLove</a>

Paul Sakuma&#47;AP photo39676695http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1.JPG64544610792039676698http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1_100.JPG10069888039676699http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1_200.JPG2001381293339676700http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1_300.JPG3002071859039676701http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1_400.JPG4002772550239676702http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1_500.JPG500346336191/businessexclusive-apple-make-many-security-guards-full-timetrue568Apple to make many security guards full-time employees12http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27630873/exclusive-apple-make-many-security-guards-full-timeBusinessposition226726788imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1014/20141014__1015apple2~1.JPG
FILE - In this Aug. 25, 2011 file photo, an Apple employee walks between Apple buildings at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Paul Sakuma/AP photo27626712SJM-NOPOACH-0303.xmltrue:crime:loc:bizbreaking:state:judicial:whatsnew:hmintz@mercurynews.com<p class="bylinejb">By Howard Mintz<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:hmintz@mercurynews.com'>hmintz@mercurynews.com</a>Mon, 2 Mar 2015 15:33:55 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 06:54:10 PSTSun, 2 Mar 2025 15:54:36 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 06:56:36 PSTTue, 3 Mar 2015 06:54:22 PST3652false By Howard Mintz hmintz&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-03-02T15:33:55-08:0020150303T065636-08002015-03-02T15:34:12-08:0020150303T065422-08002015030203/02/20152025-03-02T15:54:36-08:001817YSilicon Valley no-poaching deal appears headed for approvalFederal judge seems inclined to OK in July a $415 million pact to resolve case alleging illegal hiring practices in Silicon ValleyFederal judge seems inclined to OK in July a $415 million pact to resolve case alleging illegal hiring practices in Silicon Valley<p>SAN JOSE -- Aside from a few "nits," a federal judge appeared poised on Monday to sign off on a $415 million settlement that would end a five-year legal battle over alleged illegal hiring practices in Silicon Valley.</p><p>U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh has set a July 9 hearing for final approval of the pact, which would resolve antitrust claims against Apple, Adobe, Google and Intel over allegations that they entered into secret agreements not to raid each others' workforces.</p><p>But unlike last year, when Koh nixed a $324.5 million proposed settlement as inadequate, the judge this time around seems inclined to support most of the terms. Perhaps the only uncertainty is whether she might chip away at the millions of dollars in fees slated for lawyers who represented employees.</p><p>The estimated 64,000 tech workers covered by the claims are expected to be notified of the settlement later this spring. The overall settlement would provide payouts of about $5,000 per employee if everyone eligible submits claims.</p><p>The settlement, if approved, would avoid an embarrassing trial for the tech giants, whose top executives, including late Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt, were accused of agreeing not to poach from rivals.</p><p>The class-action lawsuit alleged that the refusal to recruit and hire each others' workers stifled wages and mobility. And evidence included a trove of internal documents and emails, including alleged missives between Jobs and Schmidt discussing the agreements.</p><p>The companies have denied wrongdoing, saying they settled to avoid the risks of a trial. Lawyers for the workers earlier in the case estimated damages in the billions of dollars.</p><p>Intuit, Pixar and Lucasfilm previously settled their part of the case for $20 million. All of the companies settled another antitrust case, based on the same allegations, with the U.S. Justice Department.</p><p>Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/hmintz" >Twitter.com/hmintz</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/hmintz">Twitter.com/hmintz</a>Judge OKs class-action suit against Apple, Intel, Google, Adobehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24390480/judge-oks-class-action-suit-against-apple-intel-google-adobe24390480Timeline of Silicon Valley anti-poaching lawsuithttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24389633/timeline-silicon-valley-anti-poaching-lawsuit24389633Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel settle Silicon Valley poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25630192/apple-google-adobe-and-intuit-settle-silicon-valley25630192Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel have new settlement in no-poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27318062/apple-google-adobe-and-intel-have-new-settlement27318062Silicon Valley no-poaching case: Companies seek to revive $324 million settlementhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26474092/silicon-valley-poaching-case-companies-try-revive-32426474092Apple, Google, Intel face setback after judge tosses settlement in tech 'no-poaching' casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26303592/apple-google-intel-face-setback-after-judge-tosses26303592Judge questions settlement in Silicon Valley no-poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25996880/judge-questions-settlement-silicon-valley-workers-class-action25996880New settlement figure in tech titans' no-poaching case: $415 millionhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27328708/new-settlement-figure-tech-titans-no-poaching-case27328708Silicon Valley no-poach case nears endhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27620507/silicon-valley-no-poach-case-nears-end27620507

FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2011, file photo, the Intel logo is displayed on the exterior of Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif.

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File- This Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows a Google sign at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP photoposition426611678imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0926/20140926__0927intel~1.JPG
FILE - In this Jan. 12, 2011, file photo, the Intel logo is displayed on the exterior of Intel headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. Paul Sakuma/AP photo27620507SJM-NOPOACH-0301.xmltrue:crime:loc:state:judicial:whatsnew:biz:apple:bizbreaking:sv2020news:hmintz@mercurynews.com<p class="bylinejb">By Howard Mintz<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:hmintz@mercurynews.com'>hmintz@mercurynews.com</a>Sun, 1 Mar 2015 12:51:08 PSTSat, 28 Feb 2015 00:00:00 PSTSat, 1 Mar 2025 12:51:04 PSTSat, 28 Feb 2015 00:00:00 PSTMon, 2 Mar 2015 09:08:10 PSTMon, 2 Mar 2015 09:05:56 PST3651false By Howard Mintz hmintz&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-03-01T12:51:08-08:0020150302T090810-08002015-03-01T12:52:16-08:0020150302T090556-08002015030103/01/20152025-03-01T12:51:04-08:001514YSilicon Valley no-poach case nears endFederal judge on Monday widely expected to approve $415 million settlement of case alleging Silicon Valley powers Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe engaged in illegal hiring practicesFederal judge on Monday widely expected to approve $415 million settlement of case alleging Silicon Valley powers Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe engaged in illegal hiring practices<p>If a federal judge on Monday signs off on a $415 million deal to end a five-year legal battle over illegal hiring practices in Silicon Valley, one thing is certain -- tech powers such as Apple and Google will collectively sigh in relief.</p><p>From the start, an antitrust case alleging so-called "no poaching" deals among the valley's leading tech companies has snowballed from one damaging revelation to another, touching iconic tech leaders such as late Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.</p><p>The most embarrassing details were brought to light in a 2013 class action lawsuit on behalf of an estimated 64,000 tech workers who claimed the companies' refusal to recruit and hire each others' workers stifled their wages and mobility. But it now appears that Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe -- the chief targets of the claims of illegal hiring practices -- are on the brink of finally closing a dark chapter in their histories, settling that case for $415 million.</p><p>U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh is widely expected to approve the settlement, having last year rejected a $324.5 million pact she considered inadequate. Koh is holding a hearing Monday in San Jose federal court to consider the deal, which, unlike the previous one, has encountered no opposition.</p><p>And while the money is considered chump change for these tech behemoths, industry experts say the settlement and the way the case has unfolded nevertheless will long affect valley companies: If nothing else, experts say, the case has put executives on notice that backroom deals to steer clear of rival work forces can always be exposed.</p><p>Orly Lobel, a University of San Diego law professor, predicts the case will reverberate in the valley for at least the next decade, pointing out that the unearthing of hundreds of thousands of documents, internal emails and other evidence proved that even the most powerful CEOs must look over their shoulders.</p><p>"It's really the exposure and the fact you can't orchestrate this kind of (conduct) again without it being known," she said.</p><p>Jobs and Schmidt certainly found that out the hard way. The settlement avoids a trial that, among other evidence, would have put in front of a valley jury their private email exchanges discussing the alleged agreements.</p><p>Apple already appears to be headed in a different hiring direction. In an ironic twist, the tech giant, on the brink of settling the no-poach case, now finds itself accused in a lawsuit of the polar opposite conduct -- raiding auto engineers from a battery company to develop a car. Apple also reportedly has been heavily recruiting workers from Tesla.</p><p>The U.S. Justice Department in 2010 first made public the no-poaching allegations, suing the four companies, plus Intuit, Pixar and Lucasfilm, alleging antitrust violations. State and federal officials later brought a separate but identical case against eBay, which settled last year. The first Justice Department case settled in 2012, but no money was involved.</p><p>At that point, lawyers for tens of thousands of tech workers sued for damages, which they at times estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Intuit, Lucasfilm and Pixar settled their claims for $20 million.</p><p>But last year, Koh balked at the $324.5 million deal to settle the remainder of the case involving Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe. The judge determined that at least another $60 million should be in the pot, a ruling that was appealed. Michael DeVine, a former Adobe engineer and one of the original lead plaintiffs, also opposed that settlement as insufficient.</p><p>However, the companies in January agreed to sweeten the deal. DeVine now backs the settlement. And lawyers for the workers and companies say it's a fair outcome, given the risks for each side of going to trial.</p><p>Kelly Dermody, the lead attorney for the employees, said the case leaves a "powerful legacy," with "a message that companies in the new economy have to play by the same ethical and legal rules."</p><p>Lawyers for the companies declined to comment.</p><p>In court papers, both sides called the settlement "fair and reasonable" for the workers, who would each net several thousand dollars if they all submit claims.</p><p>This time, experts say, the judge is likely to end this expensive tale of woe for the valley's tech giants.</p><p>"Even though it sounds like a lot of money, it's not that high, given who the defendants are and who the masterminds behind the collusion were," Lobel said. "Given all that, and no objections ... it makes me think she will accept the new number."</p><p>Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/hmintz" >Twitter.com/hmintz</a></p><a href="http://Twitter.com/hmintz">Twitter.com/hmintz</a>Judge OKs class-action suit against Apple, Intel, Google, Adobehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24390480/judge-oks-class-action-suit-against-apple-intel-google-adobe24390480Timeline of Silicon Valley anti-poaching lawsuithttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24389633/timeline-silicon-valley-anti-poaching-lawsuit24389633Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel settle Silicon Valley poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25630192/apple-google-adobe-and-intuit-settle-silicon-valley25630192Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel have new settlement in no-poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27318062/apple-google-adobe-and-intel-have-new-settlement27318062Silicon Valley no-poaching case: Companies seek to revive $324 million settlementhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26474092/silicon-valley-poaching-case-companies-try-revive-32426474092Apple, Google, Intel face setback after judge tosses settlement in tech 'no-poaching' casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26303592/apple-google-intel-face-setback-after-judge-tosses26303592Judge questions settlement in Silicon Valley no-poaching casehttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_25996880/judge-questions-settlement-silicon-valley-workers-class-action25996880New settlement figure in tech titans' no-poaching case: $415 millionhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27328708/new-settlement-figure-tech-titans-no-poaching-case27328708Silicon Valley no-poaching deal appears headed for approvalhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27626712/silicon-valley-no-poaching-deal-appears-headed-approval27626712

Marcio Jose Sanchez&#47;AP41750615http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1.JPG64544231359541750618http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1_100.JPG10069831641750619http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1_200.JPG2001371337641750620http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1_300.JPG3002062148341750621http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1_400.JPG4002743197641750622http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1_500.JPG500343439401/businesssilicon-valley-no-poach-case-nears-endtrue568Silicon Valley no-poach case nears end15http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27620507/silicon-valley-no-poach-case-nears-endBusinessposition227613576imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__0228google~1.JPG
File- This Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows a Google sign at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP27613667SJM-SHUTTLE-0228.xmltrue:biz:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:bizstaff:<p class="bylinejb">By Julia Love<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jmlove@mercurynews.com'>jmlove@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Fri, 27 Feb 2015 17:44:25 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 17:44:28 PSTThu, 27 Feb 2025 19:26:04 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 19:26:21 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 19:26:17 PST3649false By Julia Love jmlove&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-27T17:44:25-08:0020150227T192621-08002015-02-27T17:46:14-08:0020150227T192617-08002015022702/27/20152025-02-27T19:26:04-08:002120YTeamsters win vote to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon ValleyShuttle bus drivers for Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga -- all employed by contractor Compass Transportation -- voted Friday to join the Teamsters union. Shuttle bus drivers for Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga -- all employed by contractor Compass Transportation -- voted Friday to join the Teamsters union. <p>Shuttle bus drivers for five major tech companies voted to unionize Friday, an outcome that could inspire more low-paid service workers in booming Silicon Valley to band together for better pay and benefits.</p><p>Drivers for workers at Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga voted 104 to 38 to join the Teamsters union in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The shuttle bus drivers, who are employed by Compass Transportation, followed the lead of Facebook's team, which voted to join the union in November and approved a contract last week. The Teamsters plan to use that agreement -- which provides for higher wages, full health insurance and paid sick and vacation time -- to set a standard for all the shuttle bus drivers who ferry high-tech workers from their homes in San Francisco, the East Bay and elsewhere to their offices in the valley.</p><p>Rome Aloise, international vice president and secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 853, said the vote marks a turning point for Silicon Valley's service workers, who cook, clean and maintain security on tech campuses without any of the industry's famous perks.</p><p>"This is systemic change to what is happening in the tech industry," he said. "Our next step now is to move forward and pick up the rest of the drivers." </p><p>Friday's vote covered 158 drivers who shuttle workers for the five tech companies as well as Amtrak. With that group and Facebook's team, the Teamsters represent about 65 percent of the shuttle bus drivers in the valley, Aloise estimated. He said drivers for most of the remaining tech companies have already reached out to him about joining the union.</p><p>Tracy Kelley, a shuttle bus driver for Yahoo workers, said the outcome of the election has left him and his peers with a new optimism for their futures. He observed the vote count Friday afternoon, beaming as each "yes" vote was called.</p><p>"The result was exactly what we thought it would be: a landslide," said Kelley, a 51-year-old San Francisco resident. "People want change, and they knew it wasn't going to happen any other way."</p><p>Spokesmen for Compass, Apple, Yahoo and eBay did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokeswoman for Zynga declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Genentech said the company has a strong record of working with both union and nonunion contractors.</p><p>The drivers' vote comes amid mounting calls that Silicon Valley's service workers deserve to share in the wealth coursing through the region. Although most of the janitors in the area have been organized since the 1990s, few valley workers followed suit until the Facebook drivers joined the Teamsters in the fall.</p><p>United Service Workers West has also launched a campaign to organize security guards in the valley, starting with a call for Apple to choose a different contractor.</p><p>The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has advocated for better working conditions for service workers in the valley, applauded the shuttle bus drivers' vote.</p><p>"They are setting a new platform for working people in Silicon Valley where they can negotiate for better wages, health care and fair working conditions," he said in a statement. "These workers are the heart and soul of Silicon Valley -- they have dreams for their families and communities, and are standing up for the dignity and respect they so rightfully deserve."</p><p>The income gap is particularly stark in the valley, where the median salary for highly skilled workers is nearly $92,000 higher than the median pay for low-skilled employees, according to a recent report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley.</p><p>Often making about $18 an hour, shuttle bus drivers in Silicon Valley say they have struggled to make ends meet as the cost of living climbs in the Bay Area. They have also had to contend with a split shift that requires them to drive routes in the morning and evening with no pay in between.</p><p>Aloise said the contract the Teamsters have negotiated for Facebook drivers will afford them much-needed relief. The agreement approved last week, which Aloise said he expects to negotiate for others, calls for benefits including guaranteed overtime after an eight-hour workday, up to five weeks of paid vacation and retirement contributions. In the first year of the contract, they can earn as much as $25 per hour for a standard shift and as much as $27.50 an hour if they choose to work the split shift.</p><p>Under the new contract, a driver working full time will receive a compensation package worth about $33,000 more, based on wages and other benefits, than what they received previously, Aloise said.</p><p>Contact Julia Love at 408-920-5536 or follow her at <a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove" >Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove">Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>Teamsters seek to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon Valleyhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27596506/eyeing-shuttle-bus-drivers-union-tries-grab-more27596506Facebook shuttle drivers approve union contracthttp://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/23/facebook-shuttle-drivers-approve-union-contract/27583239Shuttle bus drivers for Apple, Yahoo and other tech giants to vote on unionizationhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27461221/shuttle-bus-drivers-apple-yahoo-and-other-tech27461221

Shuttle driver Tommy Leyva, center, is congratulated by Teamsters Local 853 organizers Efren Alarcon, left, and Steve Bender after the shuttle drivers voted 104-38 to join the Teamsters Local 853 at the Compass Transportation bus yard in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.

Shuttle drivers and Teamsters Local 853 organizers gather outside the Compass Transportation bus yard after drivers voted 104-38 to join the Teamsters Local 853 in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.

Teamsters Local 853 organizers, from front left, Steve Bender, Efren Alarcon, Terry Post and Ray Torres cheer as drivers honk their horns in support of the Teamsters outside the Compass Transportation bus yard after drivers voted 104-38 to join the union in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.

LiPo Ching&#47;Bay Area News Group41751898http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1.JPG64539320730441751901http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1_100.JPG10061958441751902http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1_200.JPG2001221332441751903http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1_300.JPG3001831855741751904http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1_400.JPG4002442493641751905http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1_500.JPG500305323833/businessteamsters-win-vote-unionize-more-tech-shuttle-bustrue568Teamsters win vote to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon Valley21http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27613667/teamsters-win-vote-unionize-more-tech-shuttle-busBusinessheader27613999imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~1.JPGTeamsters Local 853 organizers, from front left, Steve Bender, Efren Alarcon, Terry Post and Ray Torres cheer as drivers honk their horns in support of the Teamsters outside the Compass Transportation bus yard after drivers voted 104-38 to join the union in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Groupposition227614001imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~3.JPGShuttle driver Tommy Leyva, center, is congratulated by Teamsters Local 853 organizers Efren Alarcon, left, and Steve Bender after the shuttle drivers voted 104-38 to join the Teamsters Local 853 at the Compass Transportation bus yard in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Groupposition527614000imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0227/20150227__SHUTTLE-0228~2.JPGShuttle drivers and Teamsters Local 853 organizers gather outside the Compass Transportation bus yard after drivers voted 104-38 to join the Teamsters Local 853 in South San Francisco on Feb. 27, 2015.LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group27611759SJM-APPLEERIC-0228.xmltrue:biz:apple:svwireless:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:<p class="bylinejb">By Susan Decker And Tim Higgins<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Bloomberg NewsFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:49:27 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 12:49:29 PSTThu, 27 Feb 2025 16:31:16 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 16:32:24 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 16:31:27 PST3649false By Susan Decker And Tim Higgins Bloomberg News2015-02-27T12:49:27-08:0020150227T163224-08002015-02-27T12:50:13-08:0020150227T163127-08002015022702/27/20152025-02-27T16:31:16-08:0098YApple spat with Ericsson leads to call for iPhone banEricsson, a pioneer in mobile phones that transformed itself into the world's largest maker of wireless networks, said Friday it's filing seven new lawsuits in a U.S. court and is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple products from the U.S. market.Ericsson, a pioneer in mobile phones that transformed itself into the world's largest maker of wireless networks, said Friday it's filing seven new lawsuits in a U.S. court and is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple products from the U.S. market.<p>WASHINGTON -- The licensing battle between Apple and Ericsson is escalating. </p><p>Ericsson, a pioneer in mobile phones that transformed itself into the world's largest maker of wireless networks, said Friday it's filing seven new lawsuits in a U.S. court and is asking the U.S. International Trade Commission to block Apple products from the U.S. market. </p><p>Together, the complaints accuse Apple of infringing as many as 41 patents for some of the fundamental ways mobile devices communicate and for related technology such as user interfaces, battery saving and the operating system. </p><p>"We have offered them a license; they have a turned it down," said Kasim Alfalahi, Ericsson's chief intellectual property officer. "We're not a company that's planning to extract more than the value we put on the table." </p><p>Apple had been paying royalties to Stockholm-based Ericsson before a license expired in mid-January. When talks over renewal failed, the companies sued each other, seeking court rulings on whether Ericsson's royalty demands on fundamental technology were fair and reasonable. </p><p>"We've always been willing to pay a fair price to secure the rights to standards essential patents covering technology in our products," Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman, said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to agree with Ericsson on a fair rate for their patents so, as a last resort, we are asking the courts for help." </p><p>In its complaint against Ericsson in January, Apple said the price of today's electronics are driven by things like their design, operating system and touch capabilities that are unique to each product. Apple said Ericsson "seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations" and accused the company of "abusive licensing practices." </p><p>The new complaints being filed by Ericsson at the International Trade Commission in Washington take the dispute to another level and are designed to put pressure on Apple. The trade commission, whose job is to protect U.S. markets from unfair trade practices, moves more swiftly than district courts and has the power to block products from crossing the border. </p><p>Apple's iPhone, iPad and other devices are made in Asia. </p><p>Apple, based in Cupertino, has contended that companies whose patents cover fundamental technology are demanding too much money and has lobbied the courts, regulators and even a board that develops standards for Wi-Fi to have its position adopted widely. </p><p>The issue has split the technology industry between those who have created some of the basic ways phones operate and those that use the technology in complex devices. </p><p>Alfalahi declined to say how much Apple had been paying for the expired license. Only one of the seven lawsuits filed in federal court in Marshall, Texas, relate to standard-essential patents. Two of the Texas cases, including that one, are mirrors of the ITC actions and are likely to be put on hold while the trade agency investigates. </p><p>Ericsson offered to have an arbitrator determine the proper rates, while Apple refused to promise that it would abide by any decision, according to Alfalahi. </p>

The iPhone 6, at left, and iPhone 6 plus are shown next to each other during a new product release on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in Cupertino, Calif.

Marcio Jose Sanchez&#47;AP photo39189487http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1.JPG6454309269739189490http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1_100.JPG10067803839189491http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1_200.JPG2001331201739189492http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1_300.JPG3002001745439189493http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1_400.JPG4002672422139189494http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1_500.JPG500333318771/businessapple-spat-ericsson-leads-call-iphone-bantrue568Apple spat with Ericsson leads to call for iPhone ban9http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27611759/apple-spat-ericsson-leads-call-iphone-banBusinessheader26521091imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0912/20140912__0913iphone~1.JPG
The iPhone 6, at left, and iPhone 6 plus are shown next to each other during a new product release on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in Cupertino, Calif.Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP photoposition114324092freeform<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/css/site568/package-rss.css" media="all"> <div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">More Apple coverage</div> <div class="packagesBox"> <script type="text/javascript"> var sending_article_id =location.pathname.substring(location.pathname.lastIndexOf('/')+1); if (typeof sending_article_id != 'undefined') { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y&delid=" + sending_article_id; } else { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y"; } document.write("<script type='text/javascript' src="+ script_to_load+ "><\/script>"); </script> <noscript> <a href="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&amp;num=6&amp;del=y&amp;rel=y&amp;html=y">More Apple News</a> </noscript> <ul> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/apple" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple news and archives</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Market update: AAPL</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote/filings/quarterly?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple SEC filings</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/sv150/ci_25548370/sv-150-searchable-database-silicon-valleys-top-150?appSession=625101074169867&RecordID=1&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=&cbCurrentRecordPosition=1" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Company profile: Apple</a></li> </ul></div></div> 27612491SJM-BIZBREAK-0228.xmltrue:bizupdate:bizstaff:biz:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:loc:markets:google:apple:<p class="bylinejb">By Jeremy C. Owens<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jowens@mercurynews.com'>jowens@mercurynews.com</a>Fri, 27 Feb 2015 15:28:27 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 15:28:27 PSTThu, 27 Feb 2025 16:10:35 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 16:30:10 PSTFri, 27 Feb 2015 16:28:32 PST3649false By Jeremy C&#46; Owens jowens&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-27T15:28:27-08:0020150227T163010-08002015-02-27T15:30:14-08:0020150227T162832-08002015022702/27/20152025-02-27T16:10:35-08:001514YBiz Break: Google spending freely, Apple faces more patent fightsToday: Google spends $25 million on .app domain and plans lavish new office space, wrapping up week that saw money flying. Also: After $533 million judgment against Apple, tech giant faces more fights.Today: Google spends $25 million on .app domain and plans lavish new office space, wrapping up week that saw money flying. Also: After $533 million judgment against Apple, tech giant faces more fights.<p>Today: Google spends $25 million on .app domain and plans lavish new office space, wrapping up a week that saw money flying. Also: After $533 million judgment against Apple, tech giant faces more fights.</p><p>The Lead: Google spends freely with eyes on mobile gains</p><p>Google has $64 billion in the bank and is acting like it, capping off a week of big spending by announcing the most expensive deal for a domain yet and plans for a lavish new office complex.</p><p>In an auction for domain names by the entity that controls them -- the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN -- the Mountain View search giant <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31659666" >bid slightly more than $25 million for .app</a> (the extra $1,000 seemingly was tacked on in case anyone else bid $25 million). In its bid, which according to ICANN was the most spent in its history, Google said it wanted control of the domain to ensure mobile developers can use websites ending in .app to signal a website's affiliation with mobile software.</p><p>"This specialization makes it clear to Internet users that this is the authoritative and designated space where they can find applications and information about developers accessible via differentiated and streamlined web addresses," the company said in <a href="https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails:downloadapplication/1343?t:ac=1343" >its application</a>.</p><p>The purchase is part of a series of such moves for domain names, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/02/27/google-pays-25-million-to-add-app-to-soy-and-how/" >The Wall Street Journal pointed out</a>, with Google also owning .foo, .minna, .how and other properties. The company explained its strategy with a cheeky statement to WSJ reporter Alistair Barr: </p><p>"We are very .app-y with .how, at a .minna-mum, they have the potential to .foo-ward Internet innovation." </p><p>From the looks of it, Google plans to spend much more on a signature office building complex in Mountain View, which <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27610659/google-shows-whimsical-plans-new-silicon-valley-campus" >the company officially announced Friday</a> along with <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27611291/slideshow-google-biosphere-like-mountain-view-headquarters-plans" >renderings of the proposed tent-like structures</a>. The plans show a large, transparent membrane-like building with plants growing inside and out, and modular units inside that can be rearranged on a whim, matching <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27599272/google-plans-giant-canopy-metal-and-glass-mountain" >reports from earlier in the week</a>. </p><p>"This is new ground," Google property executive David Radcliffe <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/02/27/exclusive-google-campus-plan-would-explode-the.html?page=all" >told the Silicon Valley Business Journal</a>. "We have some of the best engineers and minds in the world working on it." </p><p>Friday's moves capped off a big-spending week for the search giant. In <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27584402/google-wallet-steps-up-apple-pay-rivalry-deal" >an effort to rival the Apple Pay mobile-payments offering</a>, the company spent an undisclosed amount to purchase technology and patents from wireless carriers' Softcard payments venture, a deal that included guarantees from the carriers that Google Wallet would be included on phones they sell. </p><p>Google also <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27601330/solarcity-and-google-partner-750-million-solar-fund" >committed $300 million to a $750 million SolarCity residential solar fund</a>, the largest of its kind, though that would seem to be the only deal of the week guaranteed to provide a return on Google's investment. Google previously committed all the cash for <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18269716" >a similar $280 million fund in 2011</a>, and received its money back with a profit. </p><p>The .app and Softbank deals showed Google's focus on the mobile space, where the company hopes to earn its money back in the future. To set itself up for a return, Google announced this week that <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27604572/google-adding-ads-android-app-store" >it is adding advertisements to the Google Play store</a>, its Android app warehouse, and <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27597165/android-gets-professional-google-releases-mobile-productivity-tools" >introducing new enterprise-focused apps for Android</a>. </p><p>Google stock gained 0.5 percent to $558.40 Friday, its highest closing price since October of last year. The Mountain View company gained 3.6 percent on the week, pushing its market cap close to $380 billion, the second highest for a Silicon Valley tech firm after Apple.</p><p>SV150 market report: Stocks decline as Apple struggles</p><p><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/financial-markets/ci_27611842/stocks-slip-after-weaker-growth-end-best-month" >Wall Street closed out its best month since 2011 with slight declines Friday</a>, as Apple fell while facing new legal challenges.</p><p>After <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/News/ci_27596233/iTunes-payment-system-costs-Apple-5329M-in-patent-dispute" >losing a patent case in Texas earlier this week that resulted in a judgment of $533 million</a>, Apple now faces two more patent cases, one of which seeks to ban iPhone sales in the United States. With Ericsson and Apple unable to agree on a new license for the former's patents on basic functions of mobile devices, <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27611759/apple-spat-ericsson-leads-call-iphone-ban" >Ericsson filed seven lawsuits against Apple on Friday</a> and asked the International Trade Commission to block iPhone imports to the U.S. Ericsson filed its lawsuits in Texas, the same state in which Apple lost its patent case earlier this week, and the same litigant that won that fight -- Smartflash -- <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2890012/fresh-from-5329m-win-smartflash-sues-apple-again.html" >has sued Apple again with a focus on newer devices</a>. While Apple's legal team worries about those disputes, Apple CEO Tim Cook is busy planning for <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_27605373/biz-break-apple-watch-likely-star-but-will" >a March event that is expected to focus on the Apple Watch</a>. In <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/watch/11439847/Apple-Watch-will-replace-your-car-keys-says-Tim-Cook.html" >an interview with The Telegraph</a>, Cook <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/27/tim-cook-touts-apple-watchs-features-as-patent-trolls-strike-again/" >extolled the virtues of the Cupertino company's forthcoming smartwatch</a>, and also disclosed that <a href="http://qz.com/352887/tim-cook-confirms-the-apple-watch-battery-will-last-a-whole-day/" >the battery lasts a full day</a>. Apple shares fell 1.5 percent to $128.46.</p><p>Rovi jumped 8.5 percent to $24.88 thanks to a late push after <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-rovi-m-a-idUSKBN0LV2HV20150227" >Reuters reported</a> the Santa Clara company has hired an adviser to examine strategic alternatives, including a possible sale. Rival TiVo gained 1.4 percent to $11.18 as the San Jose company <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/tivo-others-buy-scraps-of-aereo-at-bankruptcy-auction-1424992904" >bought the trademark and customer lists of defunct startup Aereo</a>, which was <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26060992/aereo-suspends-service-after-supreme-court-ruling" >shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court</a> in its attempt to send broadcast television signals to smartphones. Netflix fell 1.7 percent to $474.91 as season three of "House of Cards" -- <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27609745/house-cards-turns-out-be-netflix-ace-hole" >a series that has been a boon for the Los Gatos company</a> -- debuted on its streaming service. Twitter dropped 2.7 percent to $48.08 while <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/26/twitter-phone-number-tracking/" >planning ways to fight people who constantly harass other users</a>, and Oracle dipped 0.2 percent to $43.82 while <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-usa-healthcare-oregon-idUSKBN0LV2LK20150227"" >preparing for a legal fight with the state of Oregon</a>. After releasing earnings reports Thursday afternoon, Splunk fell 3.3 percent to $67.25, Infoblox soared 9.5 percent higher to $23.25, Nimble Storage sank 7.9 percent to $25.26, and Aruba Networks jumped 9.7 percent to $24.81.</p><p>Up: Hewlett-Packard, SanDisk, SunPower, VMware, AMD, Google, Applied Materials, Yelp, Symantec</p><p>Down: GoPro, Workday, Twitter, Pandora, Tesla, Facebook, Apple, Netflix, SolarCity, Cisco, LinkedIn, Salesforce, Intel, eBay, EA</p><p>The SV150 index of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies: Down 14.52, or 0.81 percent, to 1,777.7</p><p>The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Down 24.36, or 0.49 percent, to 4,963.53</p><p>The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 81.72, or 0.45 percent, to 18,132.7</p><p>And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Down 6.24, or 0.3 percent, to 2,104.5</p><p>Sign up for the 60-Second Business Break newsletter at <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com" >www.siliconvalley.com</a>. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510" >Twitter.com/jowens510</a>.</p><a href= "https://gtldresult.icann.org/application-result/applicationstatus/applicationdetails:downloadapplication/1343?t:ac=1343">its application</a><a href= "http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/02/27/google-pays-25-million-to-add-app-to-soy-and-how/">The Wall Street Journal pointed out</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27610659/google-shows-whimsical-plans-new-silicon-valley-campus">the company officially announced Friday</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27599272/google-plans-giant-canopy-metal-and-glass-mountain">reports from earlier in the week</a><a href= "http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2015/02/27/exclusive-google-campus-plan-would-explode-the.html?page=all">told the Silicon Valley Business Journal</A>. "We have some of the best engineers and minds in the world working on it." </p><p>Friday's moves capped off a big-spending week for the search giant. In <A href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27584402/google-wallet-steps-up-apple-pay-rivalry-deal">an effort to rival the Apple Pay mobile-payments offering</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27601330/solarcity-and-google-partner-750-million-solar-fund">committed $300 million to a $750 million SolarCity residential solar fund</a><a href= "http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_18269716">a similar $280 million fund in 2011</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/business/ci_27597165/android-gets-professional-google-releases-mobile-productivity-tools">introducing new enterprise-focused apps for Android</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/News/ci_27596233/iTunes-payment-system-costs-Apple-5329M-in-patent-dispute">losing a patent case in Texas earlier this week that resulted in a judgment of $533 million</a><a href= "http://www.pcworld.com/article/2890012/fresh-from-5329m-win-smartflash-sues-apple-again.html">has sued Apple again with a focus on newer devices</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_27605373/biz-break-apple-watch-likely-star-but-will">a March event that is expected to focus on the Apple Watch</a><a href= "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/watch/11439847/Apple-Watch-will-replace-your-car-keys-says-Tim-Cook.html">an interview with The Telegraph</a><a href= "http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/27/tim-cook-touts-apple-watchs-features-as-patent-trolls-strike-again/">extolled the virtues of the Cupertino company's forthcoming smartwatch</a><a href= "http://qz.com/352887/tim-cook-confirms-the-apple-watch-battery-will-last-a-whole-day/">the battery lasts a full day</a><a href= "http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26060992/aereo-suspends-service-after-supreme-court-ruling">shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court</a><a href= "http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/26/twitter-phone-number-tracking/">planning ways to fight people who constantly harass other users</a><a href= http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/27/us-usa-healthcare-oregon-idUSKBN0LV2LK20150227">preparing for a legal fight with the state of Oregon</a><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com">www.siliconvalley.com</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510">Twitter.com/jowens510</a>

KAREN BLEIER&#47;AFP&#47;Getty Images40465605http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1.JPG6453874803940465608http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1_100.JPG100601268740465609http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1_200.JPG2001201545940465610http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1_300.JPG3001801886240465611http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1_400.JPG4002402244540465612http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1_500.JPG500300265781/60-second-business-breakbiz-break-google-spending-freely-apple-faces-moretrue568Biz Break: Google spending freely, Apple faces more patent fights15http://www.mercurynews.com/60-second-business-break/ci_27612491/biz-break-google-spending-freely-apple-faces-moreBusinessposition227059907imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1203/20141203__1204google~1.JPG
(FILES) This file picture dated January 11, 2011 shows a screen image showing the Google logo in Washington, DC. KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images27605373SJM-BIZBREAK-0227.xmltrue:bizupdate:bizstaff:biz:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:loc:markets:apple:ptech:<p class="bylinejb">By Jeremy C. Owens<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jowens@mercurynews.com'>jowens@mercurynews.com</a>Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:06:23 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:06:25 PSTWed, 26 Feb 2025 15:18:41 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:54:34 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 15:53:39 PST3648false By Jeremy C&#46; Owens jowens&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-26T15:06:23-08:0020150226T155434-08002015-02-26T15:08:10-08:0020150226T155339-08002015022602/26/20152025-02-26T15:18:41-08:001211YBiz Break: Apple Watch likely star, but will MacBook Air make cameo at March event?Today: Apple invites media to an event March 9 that seems to be geared toward its coming smartwatch, though a new MacBook Air could make an appearance as well. Also: Salesforce roars to a record high.Today: Apple invites media to an event March 9 that seems to be geared toward its coming smartwatch, though a new MacBook Air could make an appearance as well. Also: Salesforce roars to a record high.<p>Today: Apple invites media to an event March 9 that seems to be geared toward its coming smartwatch, though a new MacBook Air could make an appearance as well. Also: Salesforce roars to a record high.</p><p>The Lead: Apple plans San Francisco launch event in March</p><p>An Apple launch event planned for March seems assured to focus on the Cupertino company's smartwatch, but experts say there is a chance Apple will show off another new gadget. </p><p>Apple on Thursday sent out <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27603581/apple-surprises-invite-march-9-event" >an invitation to a March 9 event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco</a>, while offering little information about the topic. The colorful invite said only "Spring forward," seemingly a reference to the beginning of Daylight Saving Time the day before the event. </p><p>The reference to time in Apple's invitation and the event's proximity to the April launch of the Apple Watch immediately focused attention on the company's smartwatch, which was <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_26488706/live-blog-apple-iphone-6-watch-smartwatch-pay" >announced along with the latest iPhones last fall</a>. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/apple-to-hold-event-on-march-9-ahead-of-watch-release-in-april" >Bloomberg News later reported</a> that an unnamed "person familiar with the matter" confirmed the event will divulge details on the Apple Watch, which could be launching earlier than CEO Tim Cook announced. </p><p>"I know they already said April, but maybe production went really well and they're ready to roll the thing out -- 'Spring forward' obviously alludes to time change," Gartner analyst Van Baker said Thursday.</p><p>Baker and Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies both predicted Apple will focus on its smartwatch at the event. More important than another look at the actual watch, however, will be information on the apps Apple and third-party developers have come up with for the device.</p><p>"What's continued to surprise me is how creative and innovative the software developer community has been. We saw it with the iPhone, we've seen it with the iPad, and we're now going to see it with the Apple Watch," Bajarin said in a phone interview Thursday. "It's hard to predict what a great app will be for me versus what will be a great app for you, but I am excited about seeing what the software developers deliver on the Apple Watch platform to make the Apple Watch something I want to buy."</p><p>Bajarin said he has been wearing a smartwatch for a year and a half and has yet to find a "killer app" that makes the devices worthwhile. Baker downplayed the notion of a single desirable application, however, and said that the entire Apple ecosystem could be the key to making the Apple Watch a big seller.</p><p>"Everyone has been asking since the smartwatches first came out, 'What's the killer app?'" Baker said. "I don't think there is a killer app. I think there is a portfolio of apps and functionality that collectively is very compelling."</p><p>Beyond the Apple Watch, Bajarin said there is "a 50-50 shot" that Apple also announces a new MacBook Air at the March event, mostly because the devices would then be available when schools typically purchase equipment in April and May.</p><p>"If Apple wanted to get a new MacBook Air in the school-buying process, they'd have to do something in this time frame. Plus, the MacBook Air needs a refresh," the analyst, who has covered Apple for more than three decades, noted. "However, we haven't heard anything from the supply chain on this, which makes it less likely."</p><p><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_20120815/live-blog-crowd-s-f-preparing-expected-ipad?source=infinite" >The last time Apple held a March launch event, in 2012</a>, the company showed off a new iPad and refreshed Apple TV. Baker noted rumors of a larger, so-called iPad Pro device aimed at enterprise customers and also mentioned Apple's need to update the MacBook Air, but he doubts those devices will make an appearance at this event. </p><p>"They certainly could, but would that detract from the launch of the watch? It might, so I'm not necessarily holding out hope that there's going to be more products in the announcement," he said.</p><p>Apple stock rebounded from two consecutive days of declines that followed a series of record highs, adding 1.3 percent to close at $130.41.</p><p>SV150 market report: Tech stocks gain as Salesforce soars to record</p><p><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/financial-markets/ci_27604892/us-stock-indexes-drift-mostly-lower-oil-prices" >Stock indexes mostly sagged on Thursday</a>, but Silicon Valley stocks gained and the tech-heavy Nasdaq continued its march to the 5,000 milestone with help from huge Salesforce gains. </p><p>Salesforce roared to a record high Thursday after <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/60secondbusinessbreak/ci_27597522/biz-break-salesforce-stock-jumps-cloud-software-continues" >disclosing that 2014 was its first year with annual revenues topping $5 billion</a>. The San Francisco cloud software pioneer's stock soared 11.7 percent to $70.24, pushing its market valuation near $45 billion. The other cloud-software company that showed off earnings Wednesday did not perform as well: Workday fell 5.6 percent to $88.65 despite living up to expectations, as <a href="http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2015/02/26/workday-drops-9-stellar-results-not-enough-for-pricey-stock-say-some/" >analysts questioned the Pleasanton company's pricey valuation</a>. Canaccord Genuity analyst Richard Davis called the earnings "Solid results for an expensive stock," while Summit Research's Richard Williams wrote, "We think the stock is fully valued and prefer to wait for a better entry point."</p><p>As <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/26/fcc-approves-strong-net-neutrality-rules/" >the Federal Communications Commission approved strong net neutrality rules</a>, one of the biggest proponents of such a move, Los Gatos-based Netflix, gained 1 percent to $483.03. Google gained 2.2 percent to $559.29 after announcing that <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604572/google-adding-ads-android-app-store" >it will begin showing ads in its Android app store</a>, which should help bring in more mobile revenues. The Mountain View search giant also <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27601330/solarcity-and-google-partner-750-million-solar-fund" >committed $300 million to a $750 million SolarCity residential solar fund</a>, the largest nest egg of its kind; SolarCity dropped 0.3 percent to $52.10. Facebook added 1.1 percent to $80.41 while <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604154/facebook-adds-custom-gender-option-users" >adding a custom gender option for users</a>, but the Menlo Park company's WhatsApp messaging service <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_27604563/whatsapp-service-must-be-halted-brazil-judge-rules" >was ordered to suspend operations in Brazil</a> and <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604200/german-consumer-groups-threaten-sue-facebook-over-data" >German authorities threatened to sue Facebook</a>. LinkedIn added 0.7 percent to $270.76 while <a href="http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/26/linkedin-to-unveil-new-development-project-in-mountain-view/" >detailing its plans for development in Mountain View</a>, which don't seem as ostentatious as <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27599272/google-plans-giant-canopy-metal-and-glass-mountain" >Google's proposal for a fancy new building</a>. Gilead dropped 0.2 percent to $104.19 after a report showed that <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604593/gilead-dodges-billions-taxes-money-rolls-from-hepatitis" >it shifted billions overseas to avoid U.S. taxes</a>. </p><p>In Thursday afternoon's earnings reports, San Francisco big-data software company Splunk <a href="http://investors.splunk.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=898708" >detailed</a> a loss of $57 million, or 47 cents a share, on sales of $147.4 million, and <a href="http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2015/02/26/splunk-jumps-6-on-fyq4-beat-q1-year-rev-view-beats/" >shares gained more than 7 percent in late trading</a>. Nimble Storage <a href="http://investors.nimblestorage.com/company/investor-relations/press-releases/press-release-details/2015/Nimble-Storage-Reports-Financial-Results-for-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-Year-2015/default.aspx" >lost</a> $24.7 million, or 33 cents a share, on sales of $68.3 million, and shares in the San Jose flash-storage company declined more than 5 percent. Aruba Networks, which is <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27598280/hp-said-be-talks-buy-aruba-networks-wi" >reportedly an acquisition target for Hewlett-Packard</a>, <a href="http://ir.arubanetworks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=206778&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2020768" >earned</a> $5.7 million, or 5 cents a share, on sales of $212.9 million, and shares jumped more than 5 percent in late trading. </p><p>Up: Salesforce, Google, Twitter, Tesla, Cisco, Yelp, Apple, Adobe, Facebook, Netflix</p><p>Down: Workday, SunPower, HP, Symantec, Pandora, Juniper</p><p>The SV150 index of Silicon Valley's largest tech companies: Up 14, or 0.79 percent, to 1,792.22</p><p>The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite index: Up 20.75, or 0.42 percent, to 4,987.89</p><p>The blue chip Dow Jones industrial average: Down 10.15, or 0.06 percent, to 18,214.42</p><p>And the widely watched Standard & Poor's 500 index: Down 3.12, or 0.15 percent, to 2,110.74</p><p>Sign up for the 60-Second Business Break newsletter at <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com" >www.siliconvalley.com</a>. Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510" >Twitter.com/jowens510</a>.</p><a href= "http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-26/apple-to-hold-event-on-march-9-ahead-of-watch-release-in-april">Bloomberg News later reported</a><a href= "http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_20120815/live-blog-crowd-s-f-preparing-expected-ipad?source=infinite">The last time Apple held a March launch event, in 2012</a><a href= "http://www.mercurynews.com/financial-markets/ci_27604892/us-stock-indexes-drift-mostly-lower-oil-prices">Stock indexes mostly sagged on Thursday</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/60secondbusinessbreak/ci_27597522/biz-break-salesforce-stock-jumps-cloud-software-continues">disclosing that 2014 was its first year with annual revenues topping $5 billion</a><a href= "http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2015/02/26/workday-drops-9-stellar-results-not-enough-for-pricey-stock-say-some/">analysts questioned the Pleasanton company's pricey valuation</a><a href= "http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/26/fcc-approves-strong-net-neutrality-rules/">the Federal Communications Commission approved strong net neutrality rules</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604572/google-adding-ads-android-app-store">it will begin showing ads in its Android app store</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27601330/solarcity-and-google-partner-750-million-solar-fund">committed $300 million to a $750 million SolarCity residential solar fund</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604154/facebook-adds-custom-gender-option-users">adding a custom gender option for users</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_27604563/whatsapp-service-must-be-halted-brazil-judge-rules">was ordered to suspend operations in Brazil</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604200/german-consumer-groups-threaten-sue-facebook-over-data">German authorities threatened to sue Facebook</a><a href= "http://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/26/linkedin-to-unveil-new-development-project-in-mountain-view/">detailing its plans for development in Mountain View</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27599272/google-plans-giant-canopy-metal-and-glass-mountain">Google's proposal for a fancy new building</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27604593/gilead-dodges-billions-taxes-money-rolls-from-hepatitis">it shifted billions overseas to avoid U.S. taxes</a><a href= "http://investors.splunk.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=898708">detailed</a><a href= "http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2015/02/26/splunk-jumps-6-on-fyq4-beat-q1-year-rev-view-beats/">shares gained more than 7 percent in late trading</a><a href= "http://investors.nimblestorage.com/company/investor-relations/press-releases/press-release-details/2015/Nimble-Storage-Reports-Financial-Results-for-Fourth-Quarter-and-Fiscal-Year-2015/default.aspx">lost</a><a href= "http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_27598280/hp-said-be-talks-buy-aruba-networks-wi">reportedly an acquisition target for Hewlett-Packard</a><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com">www.siliconvalley.com</a><a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510">Twitter.com/jowens510</a>

Apple has scheduled an announcement for March 9, 2015 in San Francisco, California

Courtesy of Apple41723039http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent.jpg7407306446941723043http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_100.jpg10099234141723046http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_200.jpg200197563741723045http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_300.jpg300296972041723041http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_400.jpg4003951405741723042http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_500.jpg500493184892/60-second-business-breakbiz-break-apple-watch-likely-star-but-willtrue568Biz Break: Apple Watch likely star, but will MacBook Air make cameo at March event?12http://www.mercurynews.com/60-second-business-break/ci_27605373/biz-break-apple-watch-likely-star-but-willBusinessposition227603071imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist.jpgposition227603364imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent.jpgApple has scheduled an announcement for March 9, 2015 in San Francisco, CaliforniaCourtesy of Apple27603581SJM-APPLEWEB-0227.xmltrue:whatsnew:loc:bizall:sv2020news:bizbreaking:bizstaff:apple:ptech:<p class="bylinejb">By Jeremy C. Owens<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jowens@mercurynews.com'>jowens@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Thu, 26 Feb 2015 09:26:15 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 09:26:16 PSTWed, 26 Feb 2025 10:05:38 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 12:50:10 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 12:48:46 PST3647false By Jeremy C&#46; Owens jowens&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-26T09:26:15-08:0020150226T125010-08002015-02-26T09:28:10-08:0020150226T124846-08002015022602/26/20152025-02-26T10:05:38-08:002120YApple surprises with invite to March 9 eventApple on Thursday sent out an invitation to an event scheduled for March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. As typical for the company, the invite said very little, offering nothing but a colorful graphic and the tagline 'Spring forward.'Apple on Thursday sent out an invitation to an event scheduled for March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. As typical for the company, the invite said very little, offering nothing but a colorful graphic and the tagline 'Spring forward.'<p>CUPERTINO -- Spring is the time for fresh blooms, and Apple appears set to show off what it has been growing as the seasons switch.</p><p>The Cupertino tech giant Thursday sent out an invitation to an event scheduled for March 9 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. As typical for the company, the invite said very little, offering nothing but a colorful graphic and the tagline "Spring forward," referencing the switch to Daylight Saving Time that occurs the day before.</p><p>The reference to time suggests that Apple will discuss the Apple Watch at the event and an unnamed "person familiar with the matter" told Bloomberg News that the smartwatch will be the focus. Apple plans to launch its smartwatch in April, CEO Tim Cook said in the company's earnings report earlier this month; the gadget was introduced last fall at the same time as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but few people have had the chance to get their hands on one.</p><p>The last time Apple held an event in March, it was to show off the third iteration of the iPad, and there have been rumors that Apple has been developing a larger iPad aimed at the enterprise market. That March 2012 iPad unveiling didn't last long, however -- Apple introduced a new full-sized iPad just more than six months later, in October.</p><p>Apple also introduced an updated Apple TV at the March 2012 event, and that offering has not been updated since.</p><p>Contact Jeremy C. Owens at 408-920-5876; follow him at <a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510" >Twitter.com/jowens510</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/jowens510">Twitter.com/jowens510</a>

Apple has scheduled an announcement for March 9, 2015 in San Francisco, California

Courtesy of Apple41723039http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent.jpg7407306446941723043http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_100.jpg10099234141723046http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_200.jpg200197563741723045http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_300.jpg300296972041723041http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_400.jpg4003951405741723042http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent_500.jpg50049318489

41722264http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist.jpg5003097242041722263http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist_100.jpg100622725541722269http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist_200.jpg2001242904241722267http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist_300.jpg3001853116941722268http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist_400.jpg4002473339841722265http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist_500.jpg500309363662/businessapple-surprises-invite-march-9-eventtrue568Apple surprises with invite to March 9 event21http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27603581/apple-surprises-invite-march-9-eventBusinessposition127603364imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_101853_appleevent.jpgApple has scheduled an announcement for March 9, 2015 in San Francisco, CaliforniaCourtesy of Appleposition227603071imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0226/20150226_103552_applelist.jpg27596506sjm-UNIONS-0228.xmltrue:biz:apple:yahoo:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:bizstaff:<p class="bylinejb">By Julia Love<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jmlove@mercurynews.com'>jmlove@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:32:00 PSTWed, 25 Feb 2015 10:32:04 PSTTue, 25 Feb 2025 15:13:46 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 06:10:10 PSTThu, 26 Feb 2015 06:08:18 PST3647false By Julia Love jmlove&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-25T10:32:00-08:0020150226T061010-08002015-02-25T10:32:25-08:0020150226T060818-08002015022502/25/20152025-02-25T15:13:46-08:001817YTeamsters seek to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon ValleyShuttle bus drivers for Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga -- all employed by contractor Compass Transportation -- will vote Friday on whether to join the Teamsters union. Shuttle bus drivers for Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga -- all employed by contractor Compass Transportation -- will vote Friday on whether to join the Teamsters union. <p>Shuttle bus drivers for five prominent tech companies will decide whether to unionize on Friday in a vote that has the potential to dramatically expand organized labor's territory in Silicon Valley and embolden others in the tech industry's burgeoning class of service workers to demand better working conditions. </p><p>Drivers who ferry Yahoo, Apple, Genentech, eBay and Zynga workers -- all employed by contractor Compass Transportation -- will decide whether to join the Teamsters union in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. Union leaders say they want to bring the drivers into the fold so they can negotiate better pay and benefits -- as well as relief from a split shift that has the drivers working morning and evening shifts with no pay in between. A contract the Teamsters struck over the weekend for Facebook's shuttle bus drivers, who work for Loop Transportation, offers a glimpse of what may be possible: paid sick and vacation time, full health care coverage and wages of up to $27.50 an hour.</p><p>Hoping the Teamsters can negotiate something similar for Compass drivers, Tracy Kelley, a shuttle bus driver for Yahoo, said he is eager to cast his ballot.</p><p>"If I could vote yes a thousand times, I would," said Kelley, a 51-year-old San Francisco resident.</p><p>Kelley said he and his fellow drivers make $18 an hour, which leaves them struggling to get by in the pricy Bay Area. Because they are employed by transportation companies that strike contracts with the tech firms, Silicon Valley shuttle bus drivers' ties to the likes of Apple are indirect. But advocates cite the firm's record-breaking profitability to bolster their case that the drivers should be making a better wage.</p><p>"This is like chump change to them," said Rome Aloise, international vice president and secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 853. "You've got the well-paid being hauled around by people who can't afford to support their families." A spokesman for Compass did not respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Apple, Yahoo and eBay did not respond, and a spokeswoman for Zynga declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Genentech stressed that the issue is between Compass and its employees, adding that the tech company will respect whatever decision the drivers make.</p><p>Friday's vote covers about 120 employees, with drivers for Amtrak joining the tech drivers.</p><p>Facebook's shuttle bus drivers voted to join the Teamsters in November and approved a contract on Saturday, setting the stage for Friday's vote. Although a patchwork of transportation companies serve the valley, the Teamsters will have reached the lion's share of the shuttle bus drivers if they prevail on Friday, Aloise said.</p><p>Amid intensifying scrutiny over the treatment of low-wage workers who keep high-tech campuses humming, organized labor has ramped up its efforts in Silicon Valley. In addition to the campaign for shuttle bus drivers, United Service Workers West is working to organize security guards in the region. During a speech Tuesday at a conference for women in Silicon Valley, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited the security guards' campaign as an example of a "movement stirring across our nation."</p><p>The Teamsters' growing footprint may well trigger more organizing among service workers in the high-tech industry, said Alan Hyde, a professor at Rutgers School of Law-Newark. Rewarded with high salaries and lavish perks, tech workers have shown little appetite for unionization. That, coupled with the valley's libertarian bent, has created a culture in which it has been harder for service workers to band together, Hyde said. </p><p>One notable exception was the Justice for Janitors campaign, which swept the valley in the 1990s, starting with Apple. At least 80 percent of janitors in the valley now belong to United Service Workers West, a spokesman said. But organized labor notched few wins in the intervening years.</p><p>A growing nationwide conversation about the income gap seems to have set the stage for union campaigns in the region, Hyde said. Highly skilled workers in Silicon Valley have a median income of $118,700, compared with the $27,000 for workers in low-skill jobs, according to a recent report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley.</p><p>"Now is the opportunity for shuttle bus drivers, for food service workers, for janitors, for security officers to re-ask the question: Should I be equally as valued as the high tech workers in the high tech industry?" said David Huerta, president of United Service Workers West. </p><p>The contract approved by the Facebook drivers calls for guaranteed overtime after an eight-hour workday, up to five weeks of paid vacation and contributions to retirement plans, among other benefits. Depending on the vehicle they operate, drivers can make up to $25 per hour, with wages set to rise over the years. The drivers made less than $18 per hour on average before, Aloise said.</p><p>If drivers opt to work the split shift, they will make more per hour -- up to $27.50 -- to compensate them for the downtime.</p><p>Aloise said the Teamsters plan to negotiate the same terms across the valley.</p><p>"Our goal is to have a master agreement including these wages, benefits and working conditions for all of the contractors in the tech industry," he said.</p><p>That would be welcome relief for Kelley, who all but lives in a double-decker bus. </p><p>The first leg of the Yahoo shuttle bus driver's workday starts at 6 a.m., when he ferries high-tech workers from their pads in San Francisco to their desks in Sunnyvale. He is stuck in the South Bay from 9:30 a.m. until they begin trickling out of offices for the ride home around 4:30 p.m., unable to return to his own residence in San Francisco -- and earning nothing during the seven hours of downtime. His bus is his livelihood, his home office and the place where he steals a few hours of sleep midday. </p><p>"The split kills me," he said.</p><p>Kelley began driving for Compass about a year ago, having been laid off from his post as a vice president of Union Bank. </p><p>Contact Julia Love at 408-920-5536, or follow her at <a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove" >Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove">Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>Facebook shuttle drivers approve union contracthttp://www.siliconbeat.com/2015/02/23/facebook-shuttle-drivers-approve-union-contract/27583239Shuttle bus drivers for Apple, Yahoo and other tech giants to vote on unionizationhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27461221/shuttle-bus-drivers-apple-yahoo-and-other-tech27461221Teamsters win vote to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon Valleyhttp://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27613667/teamsters-win-vote-unionize-more-tech-shuttle-bus27613667

A Genentech and a private shuttle bus jockey for space at 24th St. and Valencia St. during the morning commute in San Francisco, Calif.,Tuesday morning Aug. 5, 2014.

Ray Torres rallies with other teamsters outside Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, 2014, in support of tech shuttle bus drivers who were voting to unionize.

Karl Mondon&#47;Staff40235023http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5.JPG64542310055740235026http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5_100.JPG100661000440235027http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5_200.JPG2001311479640235028http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5_300.JPG3001972104740235029http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5_400.JPG4002622809640235030http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5_500.JPG500328358873/businesseyeing-shuttle-bus-drivers-union-tries-grab-moretrue568Teamsters seek to unionize more tech shuttle bus drivers in Silicon Valley18http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27596506/eyeing-shuttle-bus-drivers-union-tries-grab-moreBusinessheader26986408imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1121/20141121__1123quinnsf~2.JPG
A Genentech and a private shuttle bus jockey for space at 24th St. and Valencia St. during the morning commute in San Francisco, Calif.,Tuesday morning Aug. 5, 2014. Karl Mondon/Staffposition226962190imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1118/20141118__1119facebook2~5.JPG
Ray Torres rallies with other teamsters outside Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Tuesday morning, Nov. 18, 2014, in support of tech shuttle bus drivers who were voting to unionize.
Karl Mondon/Staffposition326986404imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/1121/20141121__1123quinnsf~1.JPG
A private shuttle bus headed for Silicon Valley leaves San Francisco, Calif., on Highway 101 for the Tuesday morning commute Aug. 5, 2014. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
27596233SJM-ITUNES-0226.xmltrue:biz:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:bbailey@mercurynews.com<p class="bylinejb">By Brandon Bailey<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Associated PressWed, 25 Feb 2015 10:00:47 PSTWed, 25 Feb 2015 10:00:50 PSTTue, 25 Feb 2025 14:57:17 PSTWed, 25 Feb 2015 14:58:10 PSTWed, 25 Feb 2015 14:57:22 PST3647false By Brandon Bailey Associated Press2015-02-25T10:00:47-08:0020150225T145810-08002015-02-25T10:02:11-08:0020150225T145722-08002015022502/25/20152025-02-25T14:57:17-08:001817YiTunes payment system costs Apple $532.9M in patent disputeA federal jury says Apple should pay nearly $533 million to resolve claims that the payment system tied to its iTunes product infringes on patents issued to a business named Smartflash.A federal jury says Apple should pay nearly $533 million to resolve claims that the payment system tied to its iTunes product infringes on patents issued to a business named Smartflash.<p>SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple has been ordered to pay nearly $533 million by a federal jury that found Apple's iTunes music store uses software that infringes on patents held by a Texas company. </p><p>An attorney for plaintiff Smartflash praised the verdict. Apple immediately announced plans to appeal and said the case shows the need for Congress to reform the U.S. patent system. </p><p>The case involves three patents that Smartflash holds for software used in storing data files and managing access through an online payment system. The outcome will likely add fuel to a broader debate over the federal patent system and complaints that it's easily abused by companies that make most of their revenue through patent lawsuits. </p><p>"Smartflash makes no products, has no employees, creates no jobs, has no US presence and is exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented," Apple said in a printed statement. The statement added: "We rely on the patent system to protect real innovation and this case is one more example of why we feel so strongly Congress should enact meaningful patent reform." </p><p>The suit was heard by a federal jury in the Eastern District of Texas, which has become known as a hotbed for patent lawsuits after a number of verdicts in favor of plaintiffs. Smartflash is headquartered in Tyler, Texas, where the court is also based. </p><p>While Apple denied infringing on Smartflash patents, an attorney for the Texas firm said jurors in the case worked hard and "saw through" Apple's arguments. </p><p>"I don't see how Apple could say Smartflash is exploiting the system. That seems to be based on some bitterness after a jury properly rejected the arguments Apple flung around the courtroom," said attorney Brad Caldwell in an emailed statement. </p><p>The jury agreed with Smartflash's argument that Apple used software based on ideas patented by inventor and Smartflash executive Peter Racz, without permission. The Texas firm alleged that in 2000, Racz met to discuss his ideas with prominent software designer Augustin Farrugia, who was then working for a European company but later joined Apple to work on security programs for its iTunes store. </p><p>Apple has lost two previous patent cases in the Eastern District of Texas and successfully appealed both of them. A federal appeals court last year overturned a $368 million jury verdict won by VirnetX, a Nevada firm that handles patent licenses for various inventors. In 2012, an appellate court upheld a Texas judge's decision to throw out a $625 million verdict against Apple, which a jury had awarded for alleged patent infringement in a case brought by a company called Mirror Worlds. </p><p>In the Smartflash case, the jury's award of $532.9 million is unlikely to be a financial strain for Apple, which earned $39.5 billion in profit last year on sales of $182.8 billion. Apple's stock fell a little more than 1 percent Wednesday, but it has repeatedly hit all-time highs this year and did again this week. </p><p>The verdict gives stock traders "a reason to sell some shares, given what has been a strong run in recent weeks," said analyst Bill Kreher at the Edward Jones investment firm. But he added, "We see little impact from the verdict" on Apple's business. </p>

(FILES) The Apple logo is seen in this September 11, 2012 file photo at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco.

KIMIHIRO HOSHINO&#47;AFP&#47;Getty Images41251436http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1.JPG6454364932641251439http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1_100.JPG100681298041251440http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1_200.JPG2001351670841251441http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1_300.JPG3002032164441251442http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1_400.JPG4002702678441251443http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1_500.JPG500338332141/businessitunes-payment-system-costs-apple-532-9m-patenttrue568iTunes payment system costs Apple $532.9M in patent dispute18http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27596233/itunes-payment-system-costs-apple-532-9m-patentBusinessposition114324092freeform<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/css/site568/package-rss.css" media="all"> <div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">More Apple coverage</div> <div class="packagesBox"> <script type="text/javascript"> var sending_article_id =location.pathname.substring(location.pathname.lastIndexOf('/')+1); if (typeof sending_article_id != 'undefined') { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y&delid=" + sending_article_id; } else { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y"; } document.write("<script type='text/javascript' src="+ script_to_load+ "><\/script>"); </script> <noscript> <a href="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&amp;num=6&amp;del=y&amp;rel=y&amp;html=y">More Apple News</a> </noscript> <ul> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/apple" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple news and archives</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Market update: AAPL</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote/filings/quarterly?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple SEC filings</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/sv150/ci_25548370/sv-150-searchable-database-silicon-valleys-top-150?appSession=625101074169867&RecordID=1&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=&cbCurrentRecordPosition=1" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Company profile: Apple</a></li> </ul></div></div> position227404941imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0127/20150127__0128apple2~1.JPG
(FILES) The Apple logo is seen in this September 11, 2012 file photo at the Yerba Buena Center for Arts in San Francisco. KIMIHIRO HOSHINO/AFP/Getty Images27591406SJM-WOMEN2-0225.xmltrue:biz:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:bizstaff:<p class="bylinejb">By Julia Love<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jmlove@mercurynews.com'>jmlove@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Tue, 24 Feb 2015 15:41:31 PSTTue, 24 Feb 2015 15:41:35 PSTMon, 24 Feb 2025 16:02:51 PSTWed, 25 Feb 2015 00:00:10 PSTTue, 24 Feb 2015 23:59:22 PST3646false By Julia Love jmlove&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-24T15:41:31-08:0020150225T000010-08002015-02-24T15:42:27-08:0020150224T235922-08002015022402/24/20152025-02-24T16:02:51-08:001817YWomen in tech, politics and media hash out workplace equalityLeading women in politics, fashion, media and technology gathered in Silicon Valley to discuss how to drive equality for women in the workplace, descending on what has become a key front in the global gender debate.Leading women in politics, fashion, media and technology gathered in Silicon Valley to discuss how to drive equality for women in the workplace, descending on what has become a key front in the global gender debate.<p>SANTA CLARA -- Leading women in politics, fashion, media and technology gathered Tuesday in Silicon Valley to discuss how to drive equality for women in the workplace, descending on what has become a key front in the global gender debate.</p><p>A sea of women from tech companies ranging from Cisco Systems to GoPro flooded the Santa Clara Convention Center to hear from high-profile leaders calling for better representation. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is widely expected to announce a presidential campaign later this year, was the biggest draw at the conference hosted by Watermark, a group that advocates for women in the workforce -- and her message did not disappoint.</p><p>"You bump your heads on the glass ceilings that persist in the tech industry," she said to a receptive audience. "It's time to think different."</p><p>The event, which drew a crowd of 5,000, featured prominent names from outside the political sphere, including fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson and Rosalind Hudnell, Intel's chief diversity officer.</p><p>As songs like "Man! I feel like a woman" and "Girls just want to have fun" echoed throughout a cavernous auditorium, women came together to assess gains they have made in the workplace and brainstorm how to close the gender gaps in leadership and pay that persist. The conference came amid a greater push in the tech industry for transparency about diversity, with a wave of valley companies opening up for the first time last year about the makeup of their work forces. Though the firms revealed ranks that were mostly white and male, the disclosures were an important step in correcting the problem, Intel President Renee James said. She urged more companies to follow suit.</p><p>"Force this discussion into the light," she said. "It's a competitive issue for our industry and one that we have to make progress on."</p><p>During a panel moderated by tech journalist Kara Swisher, several women lamented that progress in the workplace was coming too slowly. Abramson said she fears that American women who won the right to vote in 1920 would be disappointed by the present state of affairs.</p><p>"In some ways, being less satisfied and a little angrier is where we need to be right now," she said.</p><p>She mentioned her daughter, a surgeon who wants to have a family but is concerned about balancing work and home life. The U.S. must address several key policy issues, such as child care, to level the playing field for women at work, Abramson said. </p><p>"How is this going to get done?" she asked. "Politically, it doesn't seem that in Washington we can expect anything too hopeful any time soon."</p><p>Jessica Herrin, CEO of jewelry company Stella & Dot, said workplace cultures must be reformed to emphasize flexibility, with happiness as the barometer of success. </p><p>"Women feel like they have to take one for the team, and then they get there and they're miserable," she said.</p><p>But high-level positions count. Women cannot drive gains in the workplace without more seats in the boardroom, Hudnell said. But she cautioned against overlooking the role men can play by taking a stand against inequity.</p><p>"We are educating men to say no," she said. "There's just a whole lot of them to educate."</p><p>Contact Julia Love at 408-920-5536; follow her at <a href="http://Twitter.com/byJuliaLove" >Twitter.com/byJuliaLove</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/byJuliaLove">Twitter.com/byJuliaLove</a>Hillary Clinton, offering possible glimpse of presidential campaign, comes out swinging for womenhttp://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_27591430/hillary-clinton-offered-possible-glimpse-presidential-campaign-comes27591430

Dr. Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, speaks at the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women at the Santa Clara Convention Center Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Attendees fill the Santa Clara Convention Center for the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif, where Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Karl Mondon
41689054http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1.JPG64543214258141689057http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1_100.JPG100671018441689058http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1_200.JPG2001341605041689059http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1_300.JPG3002012484741689060http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1_400.JPG4002683475841689061http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1_500.JPG500335459485/businesswomen-tech-politics-and-media-hash-out-workplacetrue568Women in tech, politics and media hash out workplace equality18http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27591406/women-tech-politics-and-media-hash-out-workplaceBusinessheader27591149imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women3~1.JPG
Hillary Rodham Clinton high fives interviewer Kara Swisher during a conversation at the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women at the Santa Clara Convention Center Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
position126228446freeform<div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">Special report</div> <div class="packagesBox"><ul> <li class="packageItem"> <a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/workplace-diversity"> Workplace diversity in Silicon Valley: The latest news, commentary and company reports</a> </li> </ul></div></div> position227590747imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women2~2.JPG
Ana Corrales of Cisco Systmes speaks at the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women at the Santa Clara Convention Center Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
position427590364imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women1~1.JPG
Attendees fill the Santa Clara Convention Center for the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif, where Hillary Clinton will be the keynote speaker. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
position527590746imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women2~1.JPG
Dr. Brene Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, speaks at the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women at the Santa Clara Convention Center Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
position627591156imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225women3~3.JPG
Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Lead On Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women at the Santa Clara Convention Center Tuesday afternoon Feb. 24, 2015 in Santa Clara, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Karl Mondon
27588794SJM-EMOJI-0225.xmltrue:biz:apple:svwireless:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:<br> <p class="Byline Affiliation">Associated PressTue, 24 Feb 2015 08:36:13 PSTTue, 24 Feb 2015 08:36:18 PSTMon, 24 Feb 2025 15:54:49 PSTTue, 24 Feb 2015 15:56:10 PSTTue, 24 Feb 2015 15:54:55 PST3646false Associated Press2015-02-24T08:36:13-08:0020150224T155610-08002015-02-24T08:38:12-08:0020150224T155455-08002015022402/24/20152025-02-24T15:54:49-08:001817YApple to make emoji more racially diverse in iOS updateLovers of emoji, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, will soon be able to pick from different skin tones.Lovers of emoji, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, will soon be able to pick from different skin tones.<p>NEW YORK -- Lovers of emojis, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, will soon be able to pick from different skin tones and depictions of families with two moms or two dads on Apple devices. </p><p>Apple has incorporated more diverse emojis into the developer version of the latest update to its mobile operating system. The iPhone and iPad maker has not said when the update will be available for all users. </p><p>Currently almost all the emojis depicting people or body parts, such as a fist or bicep, look white on Apple devices and other platforms. More cartoon-like faces that are smiling, crying, winking or suggestive of other emotions come in a shade of yellow reminiscent of "The Simpsons" characters. </p><p>An Apple spokeswoman said Tuesday that the company is working with the Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that sets the standards for the pictograms, "to update the standard so that it better represents diversity for all of us." </p><p>Unicode last fall proposed adding five new skin color options for emojis. A Unicode technical report says users worldwide want emojis that better reflect global diversity. </p><p>Apple is adding more than 300 additional emoji, including new icons of gay families and 32 new country flags. </p><p>Devices made by Cupertino-based Apple as well as those running Google's Android operating system dominate the smartphone and tablet market. </p><p>Google spokeswoman Liz Markman said the Mountain View, California, company said it had no news to share Tuesday regarding diverse emojis. </p>

This combination made from images provided by Apple shows new emoji, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, that will be available with the next iOS update.

AP Photo&#47;Apple41686988http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1.JPG64527513548341686991http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1_100.JPG100431256041686992http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1_200.JPG200851665641686993http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1_300.JPG3001282155741686994http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1_400.JPG4001712717441686995http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1_500.JPG500213326621/businessapple-make-emoji-more-racially-diverse-ios-updatetrue568Apple to make emoji more racially diverse in iOS update18http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27588794/apple-make-emoji-more-racially-diverse-ios-updateBusinessheader27589548imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0224/20150224__0225emoji~1.JPG
This combination made from images provided by Apple shows new emoji, the cute graphics that punctuate online writing and texts, that will be available with the next iOS update.
AP Photo/Appleposition114324092freeform<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/css/site568/package-rss.css" media="all"> <div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">More Apple coverage</div> <div class="packagesBox"> <script type="text/javascript"> var sending_article_id =location.pathname.substring(location.pathname.lastIndexOf('/')+1); if (typeof sending_article_id != 'undefined') { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y&delid=" + sending_article_id; } else { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y"; } document.write("<script type='text/javascript' src="+ script_to_load+ "><\/script>"); </script> <noscript> <a href="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&amp;num=6&amp;del=y&amp;rel=y&amp;html=y">More Apple News</a> </noscript> <ul> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/apple" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple news and archives</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Market update: AAPL</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote/filings/quarterly?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple SEC filings</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/sv150/ci_25548370/sv-150-searchable-database-silicon-valleys-top-150?appSession=625101074169867&RecordID=1&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=&cbCurrentRecordPosition=1" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Company profile: Apple</a></li> </ul></div></div> 27584402SJM-GOOGPAY-0224.xmltrue:biz:apple:google:ptech:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:<p class="bylinejb">By Michael Liedtke<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation">Associated PressMon, 23 Feb 2015 13:59:11 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 13:59:14 PSTSun, 23 Feb 2025 14:58:28 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:26:11 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:25:24 PST3645false By Michael Liedtke Associated Press2015-02-23T13:59:11-08:0020150223T162611-08002015-02-23T14:00:11-08:0020150223T162524-08002015022302/23/20152025-02-23T14:58:28-08:0098YGoogle Wallet steps up Apple Pay rivalry in deal with wireless carriersAiming to undercut Apple's latest hit service, Google is teaming up with three major U.S. wireless carriers to prod more people into using its mobile wallet.Aiming to undercut Apple's latest hit service, Google is teaming up with three major U.S. wireless carriers to prod more people into using its mobile wallet.<p>SAN FRANCISCO -- Aiming to undercut Apple's latest hit service, Google is teaming up with three major U.S. wireless carriers to prod more people into using its mobile wallet. </p><p>The counterattack announced Monday is just the latest example of how the competition between Google Inc. and Apple Inc. is extending beyond the technology industry's traditional boundaries. Besides payments, Silicon Valley's two richest companies are expanding into fields such as home appliances and cars to increase their power and profits. </p><p>Google's latest volley calls for its payment service to be built into Android smartphones sold by AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile later this year. Smartphone owners currently have to download the service, called Google Wallet, and install the app on their phone if they want to use it to buy something instead of pulling out cash or a credit card. </p><p>Apple's rival service, Apple Pay, already comes embedded in the latest versions of the company's mobile software. </p><p>Besides trying to make it more convenient to use Wallet, Google also is hoping to improve the nearly 4-year-old service. Toward that end, Google is buying some mobile payment technology and patents from Softcard, a 5-year-old venture owned by the wireless carriers. Financial terms weren't disclosed. </p><p>Although Google and the wireless carriers got a head start with their digital wallets, the concept hadn't gained much traction until Apple Pay debuted last fall. </p><p>The service has become more popular than Apple expected, according to a recent presentation by CEO Tim Cook. </p><p>Just three months after Apple Pay's November debut, Cook said the service accounted for two out of every three dollars spent across the three major U.S. card networks, when no card was used. About 2,000 banks and credit unions have agreed to offer Apple Pay to its customers. Apple hasn't said how many merchants are set up to handle its mobile payment services. </p><p>If Apple builds on that early momentum, the Cupertino company could become the leader in what is expected to be a booming market. Nearly 16 million U.S. consumers spent about $3.5 billion on tap-and-pay services last year, according to the research firm eMarketer. By 2018, eMarketer predicts those figures will rise to 57 million U.S. consumers spending about $118 billion. </p><p>Companies that provide mobile wallets make money by collecting processing fees from merchants and banks. </p><p>Samsung Electronics, another major smartphone maker, may be ready to join the fray after buying a mobile payment startup called LoopPay. That deal, announced last week, fueled speculation that Samsung will include a digital wallet on its next phone. </p><p>Apple Pay's popularity probably helped forge the unlikely alliance between Google and the wireless carriers. Google traditionally has had a prickly relationship with the carriers, largely because it doesn't believe enough has been done to upgrade wireless networks and make them cheaper so more people can spend more time online. Media reports say Mountain View-based Google is considering selling its own wireless plans to consumers. </p><p>The pre-installation of the Wallet app is similar to what Google already does with its search engine, Gmail and YouTube on millions of other phones running on Android -- an operating system that Google has been giving away for years to ensure people keep using its products on mobile devices. Google profits from the traffic by showing ads. </p>

FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2012 file photo, a person tries a smartphone loaded with Google Wallet at the National Retail Federation in New York.

Mark Lennihan&#47;AP photo41675917http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1.JPG64545320352841675920http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1_100.JPG10070908141675921http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1_200.JPG2001401287841675922http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1_300.JPG3002111756541675923http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1_400.JPG4002812256141675924http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1_500.JPG500351282051/businessgoogle-wallet-steps-up-apple-pay-rivalry-dealtrue568Google Wallet steps up Apple Pay rivalry in deal with wireless carriers9http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27584402/google-wallet-steps-up-apple-pay-rivalry-dealBusinessheader27585334imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2015/0223/20150223__0224google~1.JPG
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2012 file photo, a person tries a smartphone loaded with Google Wallet at the National Retail Federation in New York. Mark Lennihan/AP photoposition114325757freeform<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/css/site568/package-rss.css" media="all"> <div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">More Google</div> <div class="packagesBox"> <script type="text/javascript"> var sending_article_id =location.pathname.substring(location.pathname.lastIndexOf('/')+1); if (typeof sending_article_id != 'undefined') { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250118.xml&num=6&del=y&rel=y&delid=" + sending_article_id; } else { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250118.xml&num=6&del=y&rel=y"; } document.write("<script type='text/javascript' src="+ script_to_load+ "><\/script>"); </script> <noscript> <a href="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250118.xml&amp;num=6&amp;del=y&amp;rel=y&amp;html=y">Google News</a> </noscript> <ul> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/google" target="_blank" style="width:184px">More Google news</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote?Symbol=GOOGL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Market update: GOOGL</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote/filings/quarterly?Symbol=GOOGL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">SEC filings</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/sv150/ci_25548370/sv-150-searchable-database-silicon-valleys-top-150?appSession=625101074169867&RecordID=3&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=&cbCurrentRecordPosition=3" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Company profile: Google</a></li> </ul></div></div> 27582157sjm-appledata-0224.xmltrue:biz:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:<br> <p class="Byline Affiliation">Associated PressMon, 23 Feb 2015 06:49:15 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 06:49:20 PSTSun, 23 Feb 2025 06:49:13 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:22:17 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 16:20:40 PST3644false Associated Press2015-02-23T06:49:15-08:0020150223T162217-08002015-02-23T06:50:11-08:0020150223T162040-08002015022302/23/20152025-02-23T06:49:13-08:0098YApple to set up data hubs in Ireland, DenmarkApple is investing $1.92 billion in high-tech data centers in Denmark and Ireland that will be powered by renewable energy, in its largest such project in Europe to date, the company said Monday. <br />Apple is investing $1.92 billion in high-tech data centers in Denmark and Ireland that will be powered by renewable energy, in its largest such project in Europe to date, the company said Monday. <br /><p>HELSINKI -- Apple is investing $1.92 billion in high-tech data centers in Denmark and Ireland that will be powered by renewable energy, in its largest such project in Europe to date, the company said Monday. </p><p>The hubs, to begin operations in 2017, will power data for Apple's online services, including iTunes Store, App Store, iMessage, Maps and Siri voice services. </p><p>Apple said it has increased operations in Europe, spending more than 7.8 billion euros on European companies and suppliers last year and supporting some 670,000 jobs in the region. Its own employees grew by 2,000 and number 18,300 people in 19 European countries. </p><p>The technology giant joins Microsoft, Google and Facebook in building data centers in northern Europe, where the colder climate helps save on equipment cooling costs. </p><p>Apple CEO Tim Cook described the centers as "some of our most advanced green building designs yet." They will use renewable energy, including wind power. </p><p>In Ireland, Apple will recover land previously used for growing and harvesting non-native trees and restore native trees to a local forest, providing an outdoor education site for local schools and a walking trail. </p><p>The Danish center will be located next to one of the country's largest electrical substations, designed to capture excess heat from equipment in the data hub and conduct it into the district heating system to warm homes in the area. </p><p>The data centers will be based in central Denmark's Jutland and Athenry, County Galway, in Ireland. </p>

An Apple logo is seen on one of the company's stores in Beijing, China, on Jan. 15, 2013.

EPA&#47;ADRIAN BRADSHAW35362573http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2.jpg6404274807535362571http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2_100.jpg100672905435362575http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2_200.jpg2001333153235362578http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2_300.jpg3002003455235362572http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2_400.jpg4002673797135362574http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2_500.jpg500334417411/businessapple-set-up-data-hubs-ireland-denmarktrue568Apple to set up data hubs in Ireland, Denmark9http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_27582157/apple-set-up-data-hubs-ireland-denmarkBusinessposition114324092freeform<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/css/site568/package-rss.css" media="all"> <div class="packagesGrpBox" style="width:200px;height:auto;"><div class="packagesHeader">More Apple coverage</div> <div class="packagesBox"> <script type="text/javascript"> var sending_article_id =location.pathname.substring(location.pathname.lastIndexOf('/')+1); if (typeof sending_article_id != 'undefined') { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y&delid=" + sending_article_id; } else { var script_to_load="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&num=6&del=y"; } document.write("<script type='text/javascript' src="+ script_to_load+ "><\/script>"); </script> <noscript> <a href="http://scripts.bayareanewsgroup.com/scripts/feed2js/feed2js.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.mercurynews.com%2Fmngi%2Frss%2FCustomRssServlet%2F568%2F250117.xml&amp;num=6&amp;del=y&amp;rel=y&amp;html=y">More Apple News</a> </noscript> <ul> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/apple" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple news and archives</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Market update: AAPL</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://markets.financialcontent.com/mercurynews/quote/filings/quarterly?Symbol=AAPL" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Apple SEC filings</a></li> <li class="packageItem"><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/sv150/ci_25548370/sv-150-searchable-database-silicon-valleys-top-150?appSession=625101074169867&RecordID=1&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=&cbCurrentRecordPosition=1" target="_blank" style="width:184px">Company profile: Apple</a></li> </ul></div></div> position224933403imagehttp://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2014/0117/20140117_112057_0118apple2.jpgAn Apple logo is seen on one of the company's stores in Beijing, China, on Jan. 15, 2013.EPA/ADRIAN BRADSHAW27578374SJM-OSCARAD-0223.xmltrue:biz:apple:sv2020news:whatsnew:bizbreaking:bizstaff:<p class="bylinejb">By Julia Love<br /></p><p class="bylineaffiliation"><a href='mailto:jmlove@mercurynews.com'>jmlove@mercurynews.com</a><br /></p><p class="bylinecopyright">Sun, 22 Feb 2015 12:21:31 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 05:51:55 PSTSat, 22 Feb 2025 20:33:13 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 07:44:11 PSTMon, 23 Feb 2015 07:43:07 PST3644false By Julia Love jmlove&#64;mercurynews&#46;com 2015-02-22T12:21:31-08:0020150223T074411-08002015-02-22T12:22:21-08:0020150223T074307-08002015022202/22/20152025-02-22T20:33:13-08:003029YApple shines the spotlight on high school filmmakersDuring the Oscars telecast Sunday, Apple aired an ad highlighting short films made by 10th- and 11th-graders at a Los Angeles arts school.During the Oscars telecast Sunday, Apple aired an ad highlighting short films made by 10th- and 11th-graders at a Los Angeles arts school.<p>As red carpet regulars preened on Hollywood's biggest night, a group of up-and-coming filmmakers from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts got a taste of the spotlight too.</p><p>During the Academy Awards telecast Sunday, Apple aired an ad highlighting short films made by 10th- and 11th-graders at the Los Angeles school. The tech giant and the students kicked off their collaboration last month, when Apple came to campus with iPads and an assignment: to make a movie.</p><p>The 28 students in the school's cinematic arts curriculum enthusiastically obliged, teaming up to brainstorm ideas for short films and drafting scripts. Three groups whose projects were selected for the Apple spot then spent a weekend shooting their films, with help from the tech giant's creative team.</p><p>Mitzi Yates Lizarraga, principal of the high school, said the three weeks her students spent working on the Apple project gave them an up-close look at life in the film industry and affirmed their desires to go into the business.</p><p>"This process validated their work, and it validated that what they are about as artists is important," she said.</p><p>Apple's 60-second ad shows the students' ideas evolving from sketches on their iPads to finished projects shot with the tablets. Though the students were armed with the same tools, their imaginations led them in different directions. One group filmed a bright yellow toy airplane spinning and twirling in the Los Angeles sunshine. Another captured a young woman dancing with paint on her hands, splattering the iPad with her swift moves.</p><p>A trailer for each group's film will be posted on Apple's website, with the full works available on the school's website.</p><p>Apple's ad was filmed entirely on an iPad, like the spot the company aired during the Grammys, which shows how the tablet can be used to make music. Depicting artists at work, the spots drive home a classic Apple theme: that iDevices power creativity.</p><p>"It's back to beauty, back to what you can do and back to how one of Apple's products can help you with that," said Paula Storti, managing director of San Francisco-based Worldwalk Media, a communications firm.</p><p>On Friday, the student filmmakers got a sneak peak of the ad and learned that it would debut during the Oscars. Lizarraga said they were thrilled to showcase their work on such a prominent stage.</p><p>"The elation on their faces was very beautiful," she said.</p><p>Contact Julia Love at 408-920-5536 or follow her at <a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove" >Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>.</p><a href="http://Twitter.com/byjulialove">Twitter.com/byjulialove</a>